/after the tsunami last year, a professor of mine was talking with a Japanese colleague. She said the earthquake and tsunami was a tragedy, but at least it hit an area with a small population//several million people live in the area; that's a small population in Japan, apparently

Paris1127:She said the earthquake and tsunami was a tragedy, but at least it hit an area with a small population//several million people live in the area; that's a small population in Japan, apparently

No, it's true: the tsunami came ashore far enough north that it missed Tokyo and its suburbs. The area affected is largely farmland, which is why the Japanese were so concerned about the effects of radiation from the power plant, as they rely on the area to feed Tokyo.

Dwight_Yeast:Paris1127: She said the earthquake and tsunami was a tragedy, but at least it hit an area with a small population//several million people live in the area; that's a small population in Japan, apparently

No, it's true: the tsunami came ashore far enough north that it missed Tokyo and its suburbs. The area affected is largely farmland, which is why the Japanese were so concerned about the effects of radiation from the power plant, as they rely on the area to feed Tokyo.

I'm aware that the tsunami missed Tokyo; what I (and the professor) were remarking on was that she considers a few million people a small population/rural.